Discovering Your Destiny
by LilyLunaEtheline
Summary: The past, present and future gather to read the final HP book
1. Chapter 1

The past, present, and future read the books 

_Ginny walked into the living room of her cottage, sweaty and covered in mud._

"_Good day?" her husband, Harry, asked her._

"_Fine. The team's doing well. We should be able to win our next match against the Tornadoes. I don't want to let them know that, though. They can't afford to let their guard down, not when we're so close."_

"_I know what you mean."_

"_How's Hermione doing?" before Harry could answer her, their daughter, Lily ran in. _

"_MUM!" she shrieked, earning her a glare from her Aunt Hermione. Lily had her mother's flaming red hair and brown eyes, but she had her father's skinny stature and face shape. _

"_Hey, mum," Lily's elder brothers James and Albus, along with her cousin Rose and Hugo walked in. _

"_How was your day?"_

"_Fine, thank you James. You?"_

"_Not bad."_

"_Oh, hello Mrs Potter," a small, blonde haired boy with a pale, pointed face entered, followed by Ginny's godson, Teddy Lupin, who today had decided to honour his mother, by making his hair her favourite shade of bubble-gum pink, a colour that did not suit his grass green eyes at all. _

"_How many times, Scorpius," Ginny sighed, exasperated. "Call me Ginny." _

"_I try."_

_There was an excited shriek from the corner, which put end to all hopes of a conversation. Turning, they saw Hermione, standing there, looking extremely pleased with herself. _

"_I've done it," she whispered, and the excitement was evident in her voice. "It's ready." Turning to Harry, she said "are you absolutely sure that you want to do this? Absolutely positive?"  
Harry sighed._

"_Yes, Hermione. We've been through this before. I'm sure I want to do this. It won't even change their world, unless they actively decide to change something. I just want too see them. Even Malfoy," he added, sensing her next question. _

"_Fine. Come here then."_

_Ginny walked over to her brother, who was asleep in an armchair._

"_Ron! RON!" Ron gave a grunting snore, and awoke. _

"_What- Death Eaters? - Where?"_

"_Ron," Ginny used the same, patient tone as one reassuring a scared three - year – old that, no, there was not a monster under their bed. "Hermione's done it. She's mastered the spell, and is making Harry drink the potion to record his memories as we speak. We're going."_

_A spluttering cough from behind her confirmed the truth in her words._

"_Right, well, we've already decided that we are only going to read them the seventh book, and that Ginny will give them a general background of where things are at the moment before the year starts. Then Harry will read the first chapter, and we'll go round in order of who wants to read when, but everyone should have to read at least once. Also, we're not going to tell them everyone's middle names till Al's is revealed, that will avoid awkward questions, and-"_

"_Hermione, we know!" everyone else shouted._

"_Well, alright then. Lets go."_

_At once, the room began to spin, a blue light surrounded the people clustered around Hermione until- _

"Oh my god," the voice of Draco Malfoy rang out around the room.

"I have never _ever_ been happier to hear him," Ron commented, as he straightened up and looked around.

"Merlin must hate me. There are two of Potter!" The calm, sneering voice of Severus Snape entered the conversation.

"Oh, you're all here. Good. So everything went according to plan then. Right, well-"  
"Mum, calm down," Rose said. "Besides, according to the aforementioned plan, shouldn't Aunt Ginny be doing this bit?"

"Woah, woah, woah. _Aunt _Ginny?" Ron and Harry said at the same time, looking ever-so-slightly shell-shocked.

"Well, yeah. Duh. Course she is. How could she not be?" Al said, managing to single-handedly make the past Harry and Ron even more confused than they already were.

"Right, I think some introductions are in order. Have you all managed to introduce yourselves to each other? Yes? Good. Well, I- what Harry?" Ginny asked, for her husband had been tugging on her arm for a minute.

"They're here. They're really here," he said, sounded dazed, pointing at his mother, father, Sirius and Remus.

"Well of course they're here! How could they _not _be here? The spell did what it was supposed to, which is nice to know, so of _course _they're here. But, they seem to be a bit confused, so if I could carry on? Thank you. Now, as I was saying, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna and I-" she pointed at each individual as she spoke, "are all you," she pointed at the aforementioned people's past selves. "Scorpius here-" Scorpius raised a hand, "Is Draco's son. Teddy-" she pointed Teddy out, "is Remus' son." This, naturally, raised lots of queries.

"How?"

"What?"

"Oh, congratulations!"

"Whose the mother?"

"He's not like _me_?"

"No, Remus, he's not. And you will find out the answers to the other questions later. Now, Rose and Hugo-" both waved in response to their names, "are Ron and Hermione's children." This, too, caused an outcry.

"You got _married_?"

"Congratulations!"

"When's the big day then, Ron?"

"We-you-we-"

"I think there's a wrackspurt in here."

"And this bunch of unruly children-" she gestured towards her own offspring with her foot, "are mine and Harry's children." Predictably, this also led to complications.

"YOU SLEEP WITH MY LITTLE SISTER!" This came from the sixth year Ron.

"SO WHAT? YOU SLEEP WITH HERMIONE! STOP TRYING TO RULE MY LIFE RON! YOU WERE LIKE THIS WITH MICHAEL AND WITH DEAN! GET OVER IT ALREADY! WHY DOES IT MATTER TO YOU WHO I GO OUT WITH!"

"Ron, I thought you were okay with Harry and Ginny being together?" Hermione, ever the diplomat, was trying to solve the argument, _before _wands got drawn.

"I was, but that was before I knew they slept together! That's my best mate and my little sister!"

"But we have children."

"So?"

"Well, Ronald, we're Harry's two best friends, yet he didn't bat an eyelid at the mention of us having children. So why should you care?" Ron could not think up a point against this, and future Ginny capitalized on his moment of silence.

"James-" he raised a hand, and Harry's dad looked stunned. "Albus-" Albus raised a hand, and Dumbledore looked at the floor, and Ginny thought she saw a tear drip from the end of the long, crooked nose. "and Lily-" her daughter waved with a huge smile on her face, and past Lily looked pleased. "I think that's everything for the moment, we'll explain things as we go along, but there's only so much information that one person can take in at any one time. Oh, yes, we are here to read you the book of Harry, Ron and Hermione's seventh year. This won't affect your futures directly, you'll walk away from this room, and the decision of whether or not you do anything with this information is up to you. The future is in you hands. This also won't affect our past, that will stay like it is, merely you're future will form a parallel world everytime you make a change, and things will play out from there on in. I hope that you lot-" she looked at the Harry, Ron and Hermione from the past, "will be able to use this information to your advantage, and speed up the war a little. Right, Harry's reading first."

With that, she sat, handed the book to her husband, and settled down. Her children had all gone to sit beside their namesakes, and in James' case, both of his namesakes, but Rose sat beside her, and rested her head on Ginny's shoulder.

"Chapter one: **The Dark Lord Ascending"**

Just so you know, the past James and Sirius will be known by their nicknames, the past Lily will be known by her surname, as will the past golden trio, Neville and Luna. The past Ginny will be known as Gin, and the professors (Snape, McGonagall and Dumbledore) will be known by their first names. Albus, Harry's son, will be known as Al.

Hope you liked it, and please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

A/N: I realise that the names may get a bit complicated, so if you get confused just tell me and I'll try to do something about it.

"Hang on a minute!" Everyone turned to look at Sirius. "Where's Wormy? Why is he not here?"

All eyes turned towards Ginny, but it was Harry who spoke.

"I'm sorry, Sirius, but there was just no need for him to be here. Everything he did you can make sure he doesn't do, if you choose to remember this, and I haven't yet forgiven him."

"Yet you've forgiven everyone else?" Sirius said, looking, rather pointedly, at Severus, who rolled his eyes.

"Yes."

"Bloody hell, what did Wormy do?" Sirius asked, ignoring Minerva's disapproving tut about his language.

"It may come up, and if it doesn't-" Harry hesitated. "I'll tell you. Later."

Sirius nodded, and motioned him to begin reading.

"**The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane. For a second they stood quite still, wands directed at each other's chests; then, recognising each other, they stowed their wands beneath their cloaks and started walking briskly in the same direction. **

'**News?' asked the taller of the two.**

'**The best,' replied Severus Snape."**

"You're a Death Eater? I _knew _it!" Potter cried, looking annoyed and smug at the same time.

"Severus, how could you?" Lily asked, looking slightly hurt.

"I _KNEW _it!"

"Harry James Potter, sit down and SHUT UP!"

Potter did as he was bidden, looking scared of Ginny.

"**The lane was bordered on the left by wild, low-growing brambles, on the right by a high, neatly manicured hedge. The men's cloaks flapped around their ankles as they marched. **

'**Thought I might be late,' said Yaxley, his blunt features sliding in and out of sight as the branches of overhanging trees broke the moonlight. 'It was a little trickier than I expected. But I hope he will be satisfied. You sound confident that your reception will be good?'**

** Snape nodded, but did not elaborate. They turned right, into a wide driveway that led off the lane. The high hedge curved with them, running off into the distance beyond the pair of impressive wrought-iron gates barring the men's way. Neither of them broke step: in silence both raised their left arms in a kind of salute and passed straight through as through the dark metal were smoke. **

** The yew hedges muffled the sound of the men's footsteps. There was a rustle somewhere to their right: Yaxley drew his wand again, pointing it over his companion's head, but the source of the noise proved to be nothing more than a pure white peacock, strutting majestically along the top of the hedge. **

Draco groaned, and everyone turned to stare at him.

"Sorry, it's just that we have white peacocks at home."

"So this is your house?" Weasley sounded accusing.

"That's what I just said, Weaselbee."

"Children," Albus Dumbledore spoke, calmly through Weasley and Draco's petty dispute, and they looked up at him. "If we let other Harry continue, I'm sure a lot of your questions will be answered."

"Other Harry?" Harry muttered, sounding offended, while Ron sniggered next to him.

"'**He always did himself well, Lucius.'"**

"So we _are _at your house?" Weasley asked.

"I thought we'd already established that?"

"Oh. Yeah. Right."

"'_**Peacocks**_**...' Yaxley thrust his wand back under his cloak with a snort.**

** A handsome manor house grew out of the darkness at the end of the straight drive, lights glinting in the diamond-paned downstairs windows. Somewhere in the dark garden, beyond the hedge, a fountain was playing. Gravel crackled beneath their feet as Snape and Yaxley sped towards the front door, which swung inwards at their approach, though nobody had visibly opened it.**

** The hallway was large, dimly lit and sumptuously decorated, with a magnificent carpet covering most of the stone floor. The eyes of the pale-faced portraits-"**

Both Draco and Scorpius shuddered.

"What? The portraits are creepy."

"**on the walls followed Snape and Yaxley as they strode past. The two men halted at a heavy wooden door leading into the next room, hesitated for the space of a heartbeat, then Snape turned the bronze handle. **

** The drawing room was full of silent people, sitting at a long and ornate table. The room's usual furniture had been pushed carelessly up against the walls. Illumination came from a roaring fire beneath a handsome marble mantelpiece surmounted by a gilded mirror. Snape and Yaxley lingered for a moment on the threshold. As their eyes grew accustomed to the lack of light they were drawn upwards to the strangest feature of the scene: an apparently unconscious human figure hanging upside down over the table, revolving slowly as if suspended by an invisible rope, and reflected in the mirror, and in the bare, polished surface of the table below. None of the people seated underneath this singular sight was looking at it except for a pale young man sitting almost directly below it. He seemed unable to prevent himself from glancing upwards every minute or so.**

** 'Yaxley. Snape,' said a high, clear voice from the head of the table. 'You are very nearly late.'**

** The speaker was seated directly in front of the fireplace, so that it was difficult, at first, for the new arrivals to make out more than his silhouette As they drew nearer, however, his face shone through the gloom, hairless, snake-like, with slits for nostrils ad gleaming red eyes whose pupils were vertical. He was so pale that he seemed to emit a pearly glow.**

** 'Severus, here,' said Voldemort, indicating the seat on his immediate right.**

"Well, that's new," Severus spoke softly, and refused to look anyone in the eye.

"Severus," Albus whispered, and Severus looked up at him, seeking some form of comfort. After a moment he nodded, and motioned for Harry to continue reading.

"You always were a good legilimens," Evans murmured.

"'**Yaxley – beside Dolohov.'**

** The two men took their allotted places. Most of the eyes around the table followed Snape and it was to him that Voldemort spoke first. **

** 'So?'**

** 'My Lord, the Order of the Phoenix intends to move Harry Potter from his current place of safety on Saturday next, at nightfall.'**

"You're selling him out!" Sirius yelled.

"You do not know that, Black," Severus replied.

"Yes I do, you just said-"

"Has it ever occurred to you – though, I admit I, would be slightly surprised if you had managed this complicated thought process- that I am in fact feeding the Dark Lord a fake date?"

"Severus!" Albus spoke sharply, as if warning his potions master.

"Are you?"

"Well, Black, as this occurs in the FUTURE, I do not know, do I?"

All heads turned to Harry, who replied

"I can't tell you anything. I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait to find out."

"**The interest around the table sharpened palpably: some stiffened, others fidgeted, all gazing at Snape and Voldemort.**

** 'Saturday … at nightfall,' repeated Voldemort. His red eyes fastened upon Snape's black ones with such intensity that some of the watchers looked away, apparently fearful that they themselves would be scorched by the ferocity of the gaze. Snape, however, looked calmly back into Voldemort's face and, after a moment or two, Voldemort's lipless mouth curled into something like a smile.**

Severus shivered slightly, but offered no explanation to his actions.

"'**Good. Very good. And this information comes-' **

'**From the source we discussed,' said Snape.**

'**My Lord.'**

** Yaxley had leaned forward to look down the long table at Voldemort and Snape. All faces turned to him. **

** 'My Lord, I have heard differently.'**

** Yaxley waited, but Voldemort did not speak, so he went on, 'Dawlish, the Auror, let slip that Potter will not be moved until the thirtieth, the night before the boy turns seventeen.' **

** Snape was smiling. **

** 'My source told me that there are plans to lay a false trail; this must be it. No doubt a Confundus Charm has been placed upon Dawlish. It would not be the first time, he is known to be susceptible.' **

** 'I assure you, my Lord, Dawlish seems quite certain,' said Yaxley. **

** 'If he has been Confunded, naturally he is certain,' said Snape. 'I assure **_**you, **_**Yaxley, the Auror Office will play no further part in the protection of Harry Potter. The Order believes that we have infiltrated the Ministry.'**

** 'The Order's got one thing right, then, eh?' said a squat man sitting a short distance from Yaxley; he gave a wheezy giggle that echoed here and there along the table.**

** Voldemort did not laugh. His gaze had wandered upwards, to the body revolving slowly overhead, and he seemed to be lost in thought. **__

** 'My Lord,' Yaxley went on, 'Dawlish believes that an entire party of Aurors will be used to transfer the boy-'**

** Voldemort held up a large, white hand and Yaxley subsided at once, watching resentfully as Voldemort turned back to Snape.**

** 'Where are they going to hide the boy next?'**

** 'At the home of one of the Order,' said Snape. 'The place, according to the source, has been given every protection that the Order and Ministry together could provide. I think there is little chance of taking him once he is there, my Lord, unless, of course, the Ministry has fallen before next Saturday, which might give us the opportunity to discover and undo enough of the enchantments to break through the rest. **

** 'Well Yaxley?' Voldemort called down the table, the firelight glinting strangely in his red eyes. '**_**Will **_**the Ministry have fallen by next Saturday?' **

**Once again, all heads turned. Yaxley squared his shoulders.**

** 'My Lord, I have good news on that score. I have – with difficulty, and after great effort – succeeded in placing an Imperius Curse upon Pius Thicknesse.'"**

"Albus, they've infiltrated the Ministry! This is bad!" Minerva whispered, her eyes on her elder colleague.

"Indeed, it is, Minerva. However, we will just have to wait to find out what this means for us." There was such a tone of finality in Albus' voice, that no-one dared ask anymore, or stop Harry from continuing on.

"**Many of those sitting around Yaxley looked impressed; his neighbour, Dolohov, a man with a long, twisted face, clapped him on the back. **

** 'It is a start,' said Voldemort. 'But Thicknesse is only one man. Scrimegeour must be surrounded by our men before I act. One failed attempt on the Minister's life will set me back a long way.' **

** 'Yes – my Lord, that is true – but, you know, as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Thicknesse has regular contact not only with the minister himself, but also with the Heads of all the other Ministry departments. It will, I think, be easy, now that we have such a high- ranking official under our control, to subjugate the others, and then they can all work together to bring Scrimgeour down. **

** 'As long as our friend Thicknesse is not discovered before he has converted the rest,' said Voldemort. 'At any rate, it remains unlikely that the Ministry will be mine before next Saturday. If we cannot touch the boy at his destination, then it must be done while he travels. **

** 'We are at an advantage there, my Lord,' said Yaxley, who seemed to be determined to receive some portion of approval."**

"You know, I've never worked that out. Why gain his approval at all?" Prongs spoke the words that all of them, with the exception of one Severus Snape, were thinking, and slowly, as if people only just realized he was there, all eyes came to rest on Severus once more.

"You want his approval so that you know you've done well. If you've done well, you escape being subjected to his power," Severus supplied them with enough information to calm their minds, before continuing to stare at the wall, thinking about what he has heard, and what it all means. However, everyone else was far from calm. Minerva, Albus, Granger, Gin and Evans were all looking at the Potions Master with concern in their eyes, whereas Prongs, Sirius, Weasley and Potter were looking at him with distrust in their gaze. Remus, on the other hand, had a calculating expression on his face, yet Severus seemed to notice none of them. He was wrapped in his mind, thinking on how he could have become Voldemort's right hand man, what that implied he had done, and trying to fight off memories that he had tried valiantly to suppress throughout the entirety of the chapter.

"'**We now have several people planted within the Department of Magical Transport. If Potter Apparates or uses the Floo Network, we shall know immediately.'"**

"Sucks to be you," Prongs said, faking sympathy.

"'**He will not do either,' said Snape. 'The Order is eschewing any form of transport that is controlled or regulated by the Ministry; they mistrust everything to do with the place.'**

** 'All the better,' said Voldemort. 'He will have to move in the open. Easier to take, by far.'**

** Again, Voldemort looked up at the slowly revolving body as he went on, 'I shall attend to the boy in person. There have been too many mistakes where Harry Potter has been concerned. Some of them have been my own. That Potter lives is due more to my errors, than to his triumphs.'"**

"That's true," Potter said, thoughtfully.

"Harry, it's time you started accepting that your good at beating him. It's not all luck, you know!" Granger sighed, exasperatedly.

"But-"

"Drop it," Ron advised Potter, with a serious look in his eye as he eyed Granger, and gestured forHarry to continue.

** The company round the table watched Voldemort apprehensively, each of them, by his or her expression, afraid that they might be blamed for Harry Potter's continued existence. Voldemort, however, seemed to be speaking more to himself than to any of them, still addressing the unconscious body above him. **

** 'I have been careless, and so have been thwarted by luck and chance, those wreckers of all but the best laid plans."**

"And even those can be thwarted," Ron whispered to Harry and Hermione. "Bit full of himself, isn't he?"

"'**But I know better now. I understand those things that I did not understand before. I must be the one to kill Harry Potter, and I shall be.'**

**At these words, seemingly in response to them, a sudden wail sounded, a terrible, drawn-out cry of misery and pain. Many of those at the table looked downwards, startled, for the sound had seemed to issue from below their feet."**

At these words, Luna shivered ever so slightly. She knew who that was, and the amount of pain he had suffered through, just to live another day, and it gave her no joy to hear it written down.

** "'Wormtail,'"**

"Woah, woah woah! WORMTAIL?" The Marauders all exclaimed. "What the hell?"

"I'll tell you later," Harry said and, without waiting for a response, carried on reading.

"**Said Voldemort, with no change in his quiet, thoughtful tone, and without removing his eyes from the revolving body above, 'have I not spoken to you about keeping our prisoner quiet?'**

** 'Yes m-my Lord,' gasped a small man halfway down the table, who had been sitting so low in his chair that it had appeared, at first glance, to be unoccupied. Now he scrambled from his seat and scurried from the room, leaving a curious gleam of silver.**

** 'As I was saying,' continued Voldemort, looking again at the tense faces of his followers, 'I understand better now. I shall need, for instance, to borrow a wand from one of you before I go to kill Potter.'**

** The faces around him displayed nothing but shock; he might have announced that he wanted to borrow one of their arms."**

"No, it's worse than that. You have no power, or authority, you are completely useless. I pity the person who loses their wand," Severus said, so quietly that it was an almost inaudible comment, but those that heard, grew ever so slightly paler.

"'**No volunteers?' said Voldemort. 'Let's see… Lucius, I see no reason for you to have a wand any more.'**

**Lucius Malfoy looked up. His skin appeared yellowish and waxy in the firelight and his eyes were sunken and shadowed. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. **

** 'My Lord?'**

** 'Your wand, Lucius. I require your wand.'**

** 'I…'**

** Malfoy glance sideways at his wife. She was staring straight ahead, quite as pale as he was, her long, blonde hair hanging down her back, but beneath the table her slim fingers closed briefly on his wrist. At her touch, Malfoy put his hand into his robes, withdrew a wand and passed it along to Voldemort, who held it up in front of his eyes, examining it closely. **

** 'What is it?'**

** 'Elm, my Lord,' whispered Malfoy.**

** 'And the core?'**

** 'Dragon- dragon heartstring.'**

** 'Good,' said Voldemort. He drew out his own wand and compared the lengths.**

** Lucius Malfoy made an involuntary movement; for a fraction of a second, it seemed he expected to receive Voldemort's wand in exchange for his own. The gesture was not missed by Voldemrt, whose eyes widened maliciously. **

** 'Give you my wand, Lucius? **_**My **_**wand?'**

** Some of the throng sniggered. **

** 'I have given you your liberty, is that not enough for you? But I have noticed that you and your family seem less than happy of late… what is it about my presence in your home that displeases you, Lucius?'**

** 'Nothing – nothing, my Lord!'**

** 'Such **_**lies **_**Lucius…'**

** The soft voice seemed to hiss on even after the cruel mouth had stopped moving. One or two of the wizards barely repressed a shudder as the hissing grew louder; something heavy could be heard sliding across the floor beneath the table. **

** The huge snake emerged to climb slowly up Voldemort's shoulders: its neck the thickness of a man's thigh; it's eyes, with their vertical slits for pupils, unblinking. Voldemort stroked the creature absently with long, thin fingers, still looking at Lucius Malfoy. **

** 'Why do the Malfoys look so unhappy with their lot? Is my return, my rise to power, not the very thing they professed to desire for so many years?'**

** 'Of course, my Lord,' said Lucius Malfoy. His hand shook as he wiped sweat from his upper lip. 'We did desire it – we do.'"**

"Not the wisest thing to say," Severus murmured.

"Why not?" asked the ever confused Sirius.

"Wrong tense, Black."

'**To Malfoy's left, his wife made an odd, stiff nod, her eyes averted from Voldemort and the snake. To his right, his son Draco, -' **

"What the hell!" Weasley yelled.

"I told you!" Potter stage-whispered to Weasley and Granger.

Draco shifted uncomfortably, not happy with the way everyone was staring at him, especially not Dumbledore.

"You're just seventeen," the headmaster murmured, quietly.

"I don't want it. I never did."

"They all say that," Weasley mentioned, harshly.

"Please try to keep your opinions to yourself, Weasley. I know it's hard, but you can at least try for the sake of other people's feelings," Snape said, his hand on Draco's shoulder, and Ron had the grace to look ashamed.

"You can't deny him. Have _you_ ever tried?" Draco asked, rhetorically.

"Arguably, the ones that will be most affected, and most likely to become Death Eaters this time are the children of those who joined the last time the Dark Lord was powerful. They can't say no if the want their family to survive," Snape explained, motioning to Harry to continue.

"**Who had been gazing up at the inert body overhead, glanced quickly at Voldemort and away again, terrified to make eye contact. **

** 'My Lord,' said a dark woman halfway down the table, her voice constricted with emotion, 'it is an honour to have you here, in our family's house. There can be no higher pleasure.'**

** She sat beside her sister, as unlike her in looks, with her dark hair and heavily lidded eyes, as she was in bearing and demeanour; where Narcissa sat rigid and impassive, Bellatrix leaned towards Voldemort, for mere words could not demonstrate her longing for closeness."**

"Poor Rodolphous."

"'**No higher pleasure,' repeated Voldemort, his head tilted a little to one side as he considered Bellatrix. 'That means a great deal, Bellatrix, from you.'**

** Her face flooded with colour; her eyes welled with tears of delight. **

** 'My Lord knows I speak nothing but the truth!'**

** 'No higher pleasure … even compared with the happy event that, I hear, has taken place in your family this week?'**

** She stared at him, her lips parted, evidently confused.**

** 'I don't know what you mean, my Lord.'**

** 'I'm talking about your niece, Bellatrix. And yours, Lucius and Narcissa. She has just married that werewolf, Remus Lupin. You must be so proud.' **

** There was an eruption of jeering laughter-"**

"I'll bet there was," Snape muttered.

"MOONEY! WE'RE FAMILY!" Sirius shouted, throwing his arms around Remus' neck, and pulling him until their heads were side by side.

"Oh dear God no, not this git!"

"HEY! I'll have you know, I'm perfectly loveable."

"Loveable my arse," Prongs commented.

"What is this, slap Sirius week?"

"Oh dear, you figured it out!" Evans said, with a smile.

"You're all evil!"

"**From around the table. Many leaned forwards to exchange gleeful looks; a few thumped the table with their fists. The great snake, disliking the disturbance, opened its mouth wide and hissed angrily, but the Death Eaters did not hear it, so jubilant were they at Bellatrix and the Malfoys' humiliation. Bellatrix's face, so recently flushed with happiness, had turned an ugly, blotchy red."**

"Attractive."

** "'She is no niece of ours, my Lord,' she cried over the outpouring of mirth. 'We – Narcissa and I – have never set eyes on our sister since she married the Mudblood. This brat has nothing to do with either of us, nor any beast she marries.'"**

"BEAST?" James and Sirius shouted.

"Calm down, guys," Remus sighed.

"But-"

"Drop it. Please."

** "'What say you, Draco?' asked Voldemort, and though his voice was quiet, it carried clearly through the catcalls and jeers. 'Will you baby sit the cubs?'"**

James and Sirius growled, while Teddy looked offended.

** The hilarity mounted; Draco Malfoy looked in terror at his father, who was staring down into his own lap, then caught his mother's eye. She shook her head almost imperceptibly, then resumed her own deadpan stare at the opposite wall.**

** 'Enough,' said Voldemort, stroking the angry snake. 'Enough.' **

** And the laughter died at once. **

** 'Many of our oldest family trees become a little diseased over time,' he said, as Bellatrix gazed at him, breathless and imploring. 'You must prune yours, must you not, to keep it healthy? Cut away those parts that threaten the health of the rest.'**

** 'Yes, my Lord,' whispered Bellatrix, and her eyes swam with tears of gratitude again. 'At the first chance!'" **

"Nice to know she cares so much about us."

** "'You shall have it,' said Voldemort. 'And in your family, so in the world… we shall cut away the canker that infects us until only those of the true blood remain…'**

** Voldemort raised Lucius Malfoy's wand, pointed it directly at the slowly revolving figure suspended over the table and gave it a tiny flick. The figure came to life with a groan and began to struggle against invisible bonds. **

** 'Do you recognize our guest, Severus?' asked Voldemort.**

** Snape raised his eyes to the upside-down face. All of the Death Eaters were looking up at the captive now, as though they had been given permission to show curiosity. As she revolved to face the firelight, the woman said, in a cracked and terrified voice,**

'**Severus! Help me!'**

** 'Ah, yes,' said Snape, as the prisoner turned slowly away again. **

'**And you, Draco?' asked Voldemort, stroking the snake's snout with his wand-free hand. Draco shook his head jerkily. Now that the woman had woken, he seemed unable to look at her anymore.**

** 'But you would not have taken her classes,' said Voldemort. 'For those of you who do not know, we are joined here tonight by Charity Burbage who, until recently, taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.'"**

General noises of shock and horror came from those who knew her, either as a teacher, a colleague or a friend.

"**There were small noises of comprehension around the table. A broad, hunched woman with pointed teeth cackled. **

'**Yes … Professor Burbage taught the children of witches and wizards all about muggles … how they are not so different from us …'**

**One of the Death Eaters spat on the floor. Charity Burbage revolved to face Snape again. **

'**Severus … please… please…'**

'**Slience,' said Voldemort, with another twitch of malfoy's wand, and Charity fell silent as if gagged. 'Not content with corrupting and polluting the minds of wizarding children, last week Professor Burbage wrote an impassioned defence of Mudbloods in the **_**Daily Prophet**_**. Wizards, she says, must accept these thieves of their knowledge and magic. The dwindling of the pure-bloods is, says Professor Burbage, a most desirable circumstance … she would have us all mate with Muggles … or, no doubt, werewolves…'**

**Nobody laughed this time: there was no mistaking the anger and contempt in Voldemort's voice. For the third time, Charity Burbage revolved to face Snape. Tears were pouring from her eyes into her hair. Snape looked back at her, quite impassive, as she turned slowly away from him again.**

'_**Avada Kedavra.**_**'**

**The flash of green light illuminated every corner of the room. Charity fell, with a resounding crash, on to the table below, which trembled and creaked. Several of the Death Eaters leapt back in their chairs. Draco fell out of his onto the floor. **

'**Dinner, Nagini,' said Voldemort softly, and the great snake swayed and slithered from his shoulders on to the polished wood." **

A shocked silence followed this, as Harry passed the book to Ginny, who opened it and read

"Chapter two: **In Memoriam" **


End file.
